American Airlines confirmed to PEOPLE on Friday, Jan. 31, that flight 5342 will cease to exist. The airline is retiring the number following the tragic collision in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Jan.

Some were promising figure skaters. Others were teachers or old friends on a hunting trip. They all perished in an instant, part of the worst U.S. air disaster in years.

No survivors are expected after an American Airlines passenger flight and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter collided midair on Wednesday night, near Washington D.C.'s Reagan National Airport.The big picture: While the cause of the crash is being investigated,